Clemson University’s Board of Trustees selected University of Georgia provost Benjamin C. Ayers as its next president after Kevin Guskiewicz reversed his decision and declined the Clemson role he had accepted. The board voted by voice to hire Ayers, who will begin Aug. 1 with a base salary of $1 million and potential increases to at least $1.2 million by the fifth year. The term sheet also includes eligibility for deferred compensation, performance-based bonuses tied to metrics, transition expenses, and a tenured faculty option. Clemson board members said no new search would be launched, citing a candidate-selection process already underway and continued evaluation against the same standards. The selection comes shortly after Guskiewicz told Michigan State he would remain president, raising new attention for how boards manage leadership transitions and contract terms when plans change late in the cycle.